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The rumors and reports ended up being true: former Michigan basketball head coach John Beilein’s tenure in the NBA is over, just one-half season in.
The Cleveland Cavaliers and John Beilein got out to a rocky start, not just record-wise, as the Cavs amassed the second-worst record at the NBA All-Star break in the league, with the 14-40 record only being beaten by the Golden State Warriors. But there was other turmoil. Reports of players not buying into Beilein’s style of coaching, particularly dense in proper fundamentals. Then there was the incident when he said the team no longer looked like a bunch of ‘thugs,’ which he later clarified to be ‘slugs.’ Nonetheless, it was treated as a racial slur.
Owner Dan Gilbert succeeded in luring Beilein away from the Wolverines to a chance that he could replicate upon what a few others currently in the league were able to accomplish. Brad Stevens at Boston. Billy Donovan at Oklahoma City. College coaches who could thrive in the professional ranks. Beilein, known as one of the sharpest basketball minds, particularly on offense, across all of basketball, didn’t get a chance to turn around a hapless Cavaliers squad.
Per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Cleveland and Beilein reached terms, allowing the coach to step down for what’s expected to be a hefty settlement, with assistant J.B. Bickerstaff taking over the franchise.
While there were questions about Beilein’s viability in the NBA, it’s not the ended any envisioned.
Story filed to ESPN: After a brief and tumultuous tenure, John Beilein is leaving as Cleveland's coach. Associate HC JB Bickerstaff will be elevated to head coach. Beilein's expected to say goodbye to staff and players on Wednesday upon team's return from All-Star Break.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 19, 2020
What Beilein does next is assuredly his move. He’ll have plenty of calls from various college teams who are either looking for a new coach or to improve upon their situation.
Regardless, with Michigan now entrenched with Juwan Howard at the helm, a year ago, this is not the circumstances anyone in Ann Arbor would have envisioned for any party involved.